Air heater and circulator for hair drying systems



Aug. 8, 1933. E. J. c. PERKINS 1,921,940

AIR HEATER AND CIRCULATOR FOR HAIR DRYING SYSTEMS Filed April 20, 1931 illllliflllllllllllllli Patented Aug. 8, 1933 ENITED STATES PATENT F F l C E AIR HEATER AND CIRCULATGR FOR HAIR DRYENG SYSTEMS This invention relates to hair drying systems, but more particularly to an air heating and circulating apparatus for use with a hot air distributing manifold, such, for instance, as is disclosed in my copending application for air distributing manifolds, executed by me on April 15th, 1931, Serial No. 531,575, filed April 20, 1931.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a simple and efficient apparatus whereby the air may be thoroughly heated, so as to be capable of a drying influence to a high degree.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an apparatus wherein the heated air is free from the introduction of any of the products of combustion, or of carbon-monoxide, during the process of heating the air.

Referring to the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of an example of an air heating and circulating system constructed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the air heater.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal sectional view through the air circulator, and

Fig. 1 is a vertical transverse sectional view through the air circulator taken on line 44 of Fig. 1.

Like numerals of reference indicate the same parts throughout the several figures, in which:

1 indicates the air heater and 2 indicates the heated air circulator. The air heater 1 includes a body portion 3 of sufficient size to accommodate therein a gas heater 4 composed of suitable burners 5 fed by a gas supply pipe 6. The burners 5 are enclosed within a casing '2 having a top 8 of copper or other suitable material of high thermal conductivity. A draft flue 9 passing through the heater body 4 to the outside atmosphere supplies draft to the burners 5, while an exhaust flue 10 located in the top 8, conducts the products of combustion upwardly and out to the atmosphere.

In continuation of the heater body 3, there is a deformed frusto conical portion 11, which terminates in an air intake flue 12 preferably surrounding the exhaust flue 10, and there is disposed in the side of the heater an outlet opening 13, at which a suitable pipe or flue 14 is connected to conduct the heated air to the air circulator 2.

As will be seen from Figs. 1 and 2, the angles of the diametrically opposite sides 11' and 11" with respect to the vertical are different. This difference may be of the order of fifteen degrees or more, though the exact difference is not material. balance the circumscribed interior of the heater, so that the air which is partially pre-heated by the exhaust flue 10 during its passage down the air intake flue 12 takes on a state of turbulence within the heater and is caused to circulate within the body of the heater and to pass over the hot protuberances 8 arranged on the hot top 8 above the burners 5, so that when the air is drawn out through the discharge opening 13, it has been effectively heated and sterilized.

Referring now to the hot air circulator 2, it will be seen from Fig. 1 that the connecting flue 14 is curved at 15, so that a suitable electric motor 16 may be established in line with the central longitudinal axis of the air circulator 2. A suitable stufling box 1'7 is provided in the curved portion 15, of the flue, so that shaft 18 coupled to and driven by the motor 16 may pass into the circulator 2. Near the outer end of this driven shaft, I prefer to provide a bearing 19 (Fig. 3) and on the end of the shaft a suitable fan 20 is carried.

As will be seen from Figs. 1 and 3, the housing of the air circulator 2 is of double conical formation, with an intermediate annular portion 21 between and connecting the two conical portions 22 and 23.

The fan revolves in this central annular portion and propels the hot air directly into the conical portion 23, which portion 23 is designed to be connected to a suitable distributing manifold (not shown) either directly or through the medium of an intermediate pipe or flue.

In order to prevent cavitation of the air by the fan within the circulator 2, and to insure a positive and efficient propulsion of the air and a consequent positive and efficient suction of the air into, through and from the air heater 1, I provide within the conical portion 23 of the circulator 2, the vertical and horizontal vanes 24 arranged longitudinally of the conical portion 23, and I provide on the end of the driven fan shaft 18, a conical nosing 25 (Fig. 3) to prevent churning of the air by the ineffective portions of the fan blades just adjacent the fan shaft 18.

In order to prevent the creation of a whistling sound at the lead edges of the vanes 24, I prefer to bend said edges slightly at 26, as shown in Fig. i, and I also prefer to provide a sliding door 7 in the circulator housing for access to the interior thereof.

The dimensions of the several parts of the apparatus must, of course, be changed to meet conditions, and according to the quantity of heated The purpose of this deformation is to unair desired in any particular installation and to most efiiciently and economically supply the particular distributing manifold or manifolds employed in connection with this apparatus.

Therefore, it will be understood that the apparatus may be changed or modified in details of construction and in the arrangements of its parts, and I consider myself clearly entitled to all such changes and modifications as fall within the limit and scope of the appended claim.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

An air heater and circulator including a heater body having a frusto-conical portion, an air intake flue at the top of the frusto-conical portion, and a discharge flue at the side of the frustoconical portion, the frusto-eonical portion of the heater body being unsymmetrical with respect to the axis of both the air intake flue and the discharge flue, whereby air entering into and discharging from the unsymmetrical interior of the frusto-conical portion of the heater creates a turbulence of the air therein, means within the heater for heating the air, said means including a hot plate, a draft flue in communication with the atmosphere and an exhaust flue passing to the atmosphere through the air intake flue, and an air circulator for drawing atmos pheric air into, through and from the air heater and for propelling the heated air out of the air circulator.

EUGENE J. C. PERKINS. 

